Getting Your House Ready to Sell

When speaking with real estate agents, you will often find that when they talk to you about buying real estate, they will refer to your purchase as a "home." Yet if you are selling property, they will often refer to it as a "house." There is a reason for this. Buying real estate is often an emotional decision, but when selling real estate you need to remove emotion from the equation.

You need to think of your house as a marketable commodity. Property. Real estate. Your goal is to get others to see it as their potential home, not yours. If you do not consciously make this decision, you can inadvertently create a situation where it takes longer to sell your property.

The first step in getting your home ready to sell is to "de-personalize" it. When a potential homebuyer sees your family photos hanging on the wall, it puts your own brand on the home and momentarily shatters their illusions about owning the house. Therefore, put away family photos, sports trophies, collectible items, knick-knacks, and souvenirs. Put them in a box. Rent a storage area for a few months and put the box in the storage unit.

Do not just put the box in the attic, basement, garage or a closet. Part of preparing a house for sale is to remove "clutter," and that is the next step in preparing your house for sale.

Removing Clutter, Though You May Not Think of it as Clutter

This is the hardest thing for most people to do because they are emotionally attached to everything in the house. After years of living in the same home, clutter collects in such a way that may not be evident to the homeowner. However, it does affect the way buyers see the home, even if you do not realize it. Clutter collects on shelves, counter tops, drawers, closets, garages, attics, and basements.

Take a step back and pretend you are a buyer. Let a friend help point out areas of clutter, as long as you can accept their views without getting defensive. Your agent can also help point out areas you or your friends may overlook.

Kitchen Clutter

The kitchen is a good place to start removing clutter because it’s the easiest to go through. Start by clearing everything off the counters; everything - even the toaster. Put all these appliances into drawers and cabinets and only take them out to use them. You may notice that you do not have enough cabinet space for all of your items. If this is the case, clean them out. Put dishes, pots and pans that rarely get used in a box and put that box in storage.

Homebuyers will open all your cabinets and drawers, especially in the kitchen. They want to be sure there is enough room for their stuff. If your kitchen cabinets, pantries, and drawers look jammed full, it sends a negative message to the buyer and does not promote an image of plentiful storage space. The best way to do that is to have as much empty space as possible.

If you have a junk drawer, get rid of the junk. If you have a rarely used crock pot, put it in storage. Do this with every cabinet and drawer to create as much open space as possible.

If you have a large amount of foodstuffs stocked in your shelves or pantry, begin using them - especially canned goods. Canned goods are heavy and you don't want to be lugging them to a new house anyway. Let what you have on the shelves determine your menus and consume as much as you can.

Beneath the sink is also very critical. Make sure the area beneath the sink is as empty as possible by removing all extra cleaning supplies. You should scrub the area down and check for any obvious signs of leakage that may cause a homebuyer to hesitate in buying your home.

Closet Clutter

Whether you admit it or not, your closet is probably full of unnecessary clutter. We rarely wear things like extra clothes and shoes, but we can’t seem to let them go. You should get these items into boxes and out of your closet because they can make your closet look cramped and disorganized. Be sure to empty those shoeboxes full of miscellaneous personal effects as well – we all have one of those!

Furniture Clutter

Many people have too much furniture in their rooms. While this may suit your personal tastes and living requirements, it is not very conducive to showing your home. You want to give your rooms an illusion of space that appeals to every potential homebuyer. Tour some builders' models to see how they place furniture in their homes. Observe how they place furniture in the models so you get some ideas on what to remove and what to leave in your house.

Storage Area Clutter

Basements, garages, attics and sheds accumulate not only clutter, but junk. These areas should be as clear as possible so that buyers can imagine what they would do with the space. Remove anything that is not essential and take it to the storage area.

Or have a garage sale!

Fixing Up The House Interior

When fixing up your home’s interior, you should avoid anything expensive like large-scale remodeling. Instead, try to work within your budget and do whatever minor renovations you can afford. Remember that part of selling a house is also preparing to buy your next home. You do not want to charge your credit cards or take out new loans because it may affect your credit or hurt your ability to qualify for your next mortgage. Below are some ideas for inexpensive projects that should help sell your home:

* Painting can be your best investment when selling your home. Try choosing a colour based on what would appeal to the widest possible number of buyers.
* All your sink fixtures should look shiny and new. If this cannot be accomplished by cleaning, buy new inexpensive ones where needed.
* Make sure all the hot and cold water knobs are easy to turn and that the faucets do not leak. If they do, replace the washers.
* Check to make sure you have good water pressure and that there are no stains on any of the porcelain.
* Have all carpets in the home cleaned. If your carpet appears old and worn and you choose to replace it, do so with something inexpensive in a fairly neutral color.
* Repair or replace broken floor tiles.
* Check all of your windows to make sure they open and close easily and replace any windowpanes that are cracked or broken.
* For those who smoke or have pets purchase an ozone spray that helps to remove odors without creating a masking odor. For those with cats, be sure to empty kitty litter boxes daily. You might also try sprinkling carpet freshener on the carpet on a periodic basis.

Fixing Up The House Exterior

A homebuyer's first impression is based on his or her view of the house from the real estate agent's car. So take a walk across the street and take a good look at your house. Look at nearby houses, too, and see how it compares.

The big decision is whether or not to paint your exterior. When you look at your house from across the street, do the colours look tired and faded? If so, a paint job may be in order. It is often a very good investment and really spruces up the appearance of a house, adding dollars to offers from potential homebuyers.

There are many other inexpensive things that you can do to spruce up the exterior of your home to make a good impression on the buyers.

* Your lawn should be evenly cut, freshly edged, well watered, and free of brown spots.
* If you have an area for flowers, buy mature colorful flowers and plant them. They add a splash of vibrancy and color, creating a favorable first impression.
* Always rake up loose leaves and grass cuttings.
* The back yard should be tidy. If you have a pool or spa, keep it freshly maintained and constantly cleaned.
* For those that have dogs, be sure to constantly keep the area clear of "debris."
* The front door should be especially sharp, since it is the entryway into the house. Polish the door fixture so it gleams. If the door needs refinishing or repainting, make sure to get that done.
* Get a new plush doormat - you can take it with you when you move out.
* Make sure the lock works easily and the key fits properly. When a homebuyer comes to visit your home, the agent uses the key from the lock box to unlock the door. If there is trouble working the lock while everyone else stands around twiddling their thumbs, this sends a negative first impression to prospective homebuyers.